body seemed to turn to fire wherever he touched. And as his kiss raged, she didn’t care if she was consumed. She wanted to go wherever the kiss meant to lead. And she could sense he wanted that too.
“I’m coming up!” James called from the stairwell.
Tom broke away and released her.
“Make sure you’re decent,” James called again, his voice echoing in the hollow passageway and clearly full of humor.
Tom ran one hand across his mouth and jaw and with the other tucked in his shirt, which had somehow come loose.
Had she pulled it out?
Her face burned at the thought, but she quickly wiped at her own face and hair and bodice, her fingers shaking too much to bring about any semblance of order.
“You ready?” James voice came from the landing just below the hatch.
Tom cleared his throat. “All set.”
The ping of boots against the ladder was followed by James’s head popping through the hatch. At the sight of them, he paused. His grin was wide and his eyes sparkled. “I’m sorry for disturbing you.”
Tom’s face was a shade darker than usual, and he combed his fingers through his hair. “We were just about done.”
“I don’t know about that, son.” James chuckled. “From what I could see, it looked like you were just getting started.”
Mortification washed over Victoria. Had James witnessed their moment of passion? She glanced back in the direction of the house and realized that if he’d been walking from the house to the tower, he would have had a clear view of the tower room. He would have seen them kissing like there was no tomorrow.
The muscles in Tom’s jaw worked up and down, as if he too realized all his dad had witnessed.
James climbed the rest of the way up. Even though his eyes were warm with affection in addition to his humor, Victoria avoided his gaze. “Your mom told me not to disturb you. I tried to hold off as long as I could, but the storm is gaining momentum.” He cocked his head to the window.
Sure enough, the dark clouds were drawing closer. They were heaped upon the horizon and stretching tall, exposing their angry underbellies. Lightning flashed deep within and seemed to incite the waves to join in the tumult.
“I wanted to let you finish,” James said. “Your mom and I have lots of happy memories of our times together in lighthouse towers—”
“Dad.” Tom cut James off with a pointed, slightly tortured look.
James laughed heartily before checking the wind direction and turning to adjust the vents. While his back was turned, Tom reached for her hand, his eyes radiating apology. Was he sorry for kissing her? Or sorry about his dad’s interruption?
She hoped it was the later and smiled at him in reassurance. She squeezed his hand, hoping to send him the message that she wasn’t in the least sorry for this, any more than she was for the last time they kissed.
“I need to get the lantern lit before it gets too dark,” James said as he worked. “It’s just a precaution.”
“I’ll help you,” Tom offered.
“I’ll be fine. You go finish your business with your wife somewhere else.”
Even though James’s bluntness was becoming more familiar, Victoria still heated at his insinuation. Tom shook his head, but a surge of wind rattled the tower windows with such force that the metal tube attached to the glass chimney of the lantern popped away from the wall and slammed against the window with such force that Victoria expected the glass to crack. Wind roared through the vent opening, and both Tom and James lunged to grab the dangling tube before it could do damage. For a moment they struggled to lift and position it back in place against the incoming gust.
As they worked and shouted instructions to each other, she realized her moment with Tom was over, especially when the wind broke the vent off again. This time it almost knocked into Tom.
“Go back to the house,” he called to her. “It isn’t safe up here now.”
She nodded as the wind roared into the small room, swirling her skirt and hair and making conversation virtually impossible. She descended, and on her walk back to the house, she fought the swelling gusts and blowing sand.
All the while, she couldn’t stop thinking about that kiss. How far would the kiss have led this time if James hadn’t interrupted? Tom wanted to take things slowly. Wanted to focus on their friendship first. Wanted to take the rest of their